How bride’s family spent big day

MEGHAN Markle's mother was the only one of her family members to attend her wedding to Prince Harry - but she was uppermost in the thoughts of all her relatives.

Her father Thomas Markle, who was unable to give her away because of his recent heart surgery, said his 36-year-old daughter looked "beautiful" and "very happy".

"The service was beautiful and it's history," he told TMZ after watching the ceremony from his bed in California from 4am on Saturday. "I will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughter's hand."

The 73-year-old said he had texted Meghan on the day of her wedding to the 33-year-old Prince, but had not yet bought the newlyweds a present because of his health issues.

The Duchess of Sussex’s half-sister Samantha invited TV crews to her home in Florida to film a small party. Picture: ITV

He said watching the nuptials made him nostalgic, bringing back all his memories of the actress's childhood, including her birth and the first time he held her.

"My baby girl is a duchess and I love her so much," he added, making a plea to his trouble-making family. "Now I pray that Harry and Meghan can go on a nice honeymoon and rest and relax, and all of my relatives will just shut up about everything."

Meanwhile, his daughter and Meghan's half-sister Samantha, 53, held a party at her home in Florida, where the ceremony began at a more civilised 7am.

A TV broadcast truck was seen outside her home just after dawn, but there was no sign of a celebration. Her boyfriend Mark Phillips told the Daily Mail the gathering of eight people was going to be covered by a television crew, earning Samantha a five-figure sum.

Meghan's cousin, Samantha's daughter Noel Rassumen, was also not invited to the wedding, but a tabloid newspaper flew her to London from Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Meghan looked so beautiful. I'm thrilled by how popular she is here," said Ms Rassumen, who is estranged from her mother and lives with her grandmother Rosalyn Markle.

Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr was flown to London by a tabloid newspaper.

"We're just regular people - then all of a sudden Meghan began dating Prince Harry and it has been crazy ever since," she told The Mirror. "They're just really feeling hurt and they don't know how to deal with it.

"I'm OK with not having been invited, I just want her to be happy. She'll be a great wife and a great ambassador for America."

Thomas Jr, 51, and his ex-wife Tracy Dooley were also flown to London by the British media. Ms Dooley, who has not seem Ms Markle in 20 years, said on social media she was "having a blast", despite being dropped from ITV's coverage at the last minute.

In Stanford, Florida, Meghan's aunt Theresa Markle and cousin Nick were seen wearing Burger King paper crowns following their meal after watching the broadcast.

Meghan’s aunt and cousin celebrated with a Burger King breakfast in Florida. Picture: BBC

They tucked into a Double Bacon Breakfast Sourdough King and Hash Browns as the happy couple nibbled on langoustines wrapped in smoked salmon and croquette of confit Windsor lamb.

The new royal's uncle Michael, her father's oldest brother, told the Mail he didn't know "why most of us in the States weren't invited", and wondered if it was because her brother and sister "haven't really been kind".

The former foreign service officer said it was "a long step" for the Markle family, who are from a small Pennsylvanian town, to be linked to the royals. But at 78, he wasn't going to get up at 4am to see the occasion.

"I'll record the whole thing and I might watch some of it later," he said.

"Those things can get boring after a while with the horses and all that stuff."

Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland was the only member of the bride’s family at the wedding. Picture: BBC